Dealing with your single status on Valentine’s Day

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During this time of year, there seems to be a widespread stigma concerning Valentine’s Day and the way it makes single people feel. Most of us find ourselves “in the feelings” listening to Drake and scrolling down Tumblr, reblogging posts about singles empowerment and how “you don’t need no man”.

Surprisingly though, there is a way to escape this emotional trap if you just stop and think about what Valentine’s Day really is — an overly-exaggerated false front the media puts up in order to get national revenues moving.

If you’re going out to dinner or buying your sweetheart a nice gift, you are essentially volunteering yourself to be a pseudo puppet for big business CEOs. If you don’t believe me, then take a trip to any popular retail store the day after New Year’s Day.

Store managers immediately set up hearts and teddy bears in order to entice the consumer, even though just weeks before, he or she was most likely stocking up for Christmas — and probably building up a deficit.

Apart from being a form of economic stimulus, Valentine’s Day is also just another way to stress you out. ­­

Millions of couples over work themselves each year over what to do for their sweetheart on that infamous day. No one truly understands the irony of two people getting so wrapped up in impressing each other that they barely have any room left to appreciate the gift they get from their lover.

What’s the point of getting someone a super expensive gift that barely invokes any emotion from the receiver when you can just write up a nice heartfelt card that will put him or her in tears?

It seems like an easy enough concept to grasp, but people still allow ignorance to take advantage of them.

Besides the fact that shopping for Valentine’s Day drains your wallet (and your sanity), its origins aren’t exactly what you would call a “romantic affair”.

If you don’t know the dark beginnings of Valentine’s Day, then I suggest you research the term Lupercalia.

Lupercalia was a festival which took place from Feb. 13-15, that the ancient Romans dedicated to Lupercus, the god of fertility.

The ritual consisted of a sacrifice of two male goats and a dog, whose blood was then smeared on the foreheads of two young noble males (this symbolized protection over shepherds).

Afterwards, women lined up to be whipped by men with the hides of the animals — a rite that promised fertility. Centuries later, of course, the ritual was banned by the Pope.

Other sources state that the origins of the holiday go back to the martydom of two priests who performed secret marriages for soldiers that the Holy Roman Emperor forbade to get married because of his belief that married men did not make good soldiers.

The point is, before you dedicate your time and effort to a holiday, try to do your research on it first to be sure of what you’re celebrating.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Pagan rituals, but it’s nice to at least know where popular traditions come from, especially if they involve whipping and sacrifices.

Apart from all of those factors, there’s no worse mistake than boasting of elaborate Valentine’s Day plans, and then procrastinating until the day before to make arrangements.

In the end, your partner will be utterly disappointed that you didn’t come through with something nice, and you will have to live with the humiliation of being that person, who over-spoke of their plans but turned up with absolutely nothing.

The final and most important reason not to stress over being single on Valentine’s Day is because you have 364 more days in the year to show your love for someone. Why narrow it down to one day?

Some may say that Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a special day for you to do something special for that special someone. But why does that special someone have to be someone of romantic interest?

Call all of your other single friends over for a sleepover. Buy your mother a new scarf. Take your dog on a picnic.

Love is love, whether it be for your girlfriend, boyfriend, parent, pet or plant. The point is to just show appreciation and admiration.

What’s the point in trying to show someone you love them, if you only act on it one day of the whole year?